Hello

I tend to call myself The Bargee because I have spent over 50 years to date heavily involved (privately and professionally) with boats, mostly narrow boats and Dutch barges but also smaller yachts, and we still own a Dutch barge, but for the last 20 years we have also enjoyed caravanning in the U.K., particularly Scotland. 

We were planning to go up to N. Yorkshire for this New Year in the caravan (Coachman Laser 650) but I cried off at the last moment at the thought of another soaking whilst messing around pitching up on a moor and finally, after over twenty years hankering after a motor home with comfy Captains chairs (not caravan benches!) we took the plunge yesterday, visited a dealer and paid the deposit on a 2019 Kingham. So I am hoping that in future I will not be struggling to pitch up to refrains from the car of “is it warm in the caravan yet” or “can I put the kettle on yet.” Hopefully a couple of wedges at most, plug in and boil the kettle!

I would be preaching to the converted if I said much more about the search for a motor home that would suit SWMBO, but I am pretty convinced that with the Kingham we have found the one for us. As has been said elsewhere, a bit like a Tardis!

As a practical guy I am already planning a few mods, like installing an inverter and putting a curtain between the bed and the “saloon” (as us bargees call that area) but more of that another time and I am sure other members will be kind enough to advise me as and when, just as I am happy to offer my nautical experience on any vaguely related issues that might get aired on here.

So I have a bit of Googling to do before we take delivery of the van, and then we will be off!

Happy New Year to all!

The Bargee.

Well, I’m not expecting it to be amphibious! I’ve already found a couple of holes in the bottom by the fridge that need fixing though!

Bargees are very used to inverters, not just so that we have mains power all the time, but as part of an overall off grid power system, including for cooking etc. I am surprised that inverters, induction hobs etc. are not more commonplace in smaller RV’s. I only plan a relatively small 1500 watt max. unit, enough for occasional hair dryer etc. plus all the phone & computer charging, hoover etc. Good units such as Victron are extremely efficient now. It may need an extra habitation battery but we are not expecting to be off grid for too long. We find that appliances such as a low wattage electric kettle are preferable to burning gas. Indeed if I were to be converting my own van I would not be fitting gas at all! Just my own opinion of course.

Tinwheeler wrote:Make sure the holes under the fridge aren’t gas dump vents!

Sorry, only joking! We do the gas vents slightly differently in boats!